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Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Proposition 19 Results [PROP 19]. Proposition 19 results are expected to be a loss to those who want marijuana to become legalized. However, it's still early in the game so it's not like it's a sure-fire loss for proponents.

The results will pave the way for legalization of marijuana across the country as a whole. However, the legalization of pot won't come without controversy. Some say that Prop 19 will be a "cash cow" for California. Others claim that the so-called tax base will be non existent as municipalities will be able to effectively "price out" each other from the market.

Still yet, some say that legalizing marijuana will allow law enforcement to focus on bigger drug issues, such as those posed by meth, coke, and crack. In addition it will keep money that is typically sent to Mexico in the illegal drug trade inside the US.

40 comments:

Hmmm, how did they come to the determination about these results so fast? From what I can see, the CA elections website (http://vote.sos.ca.gov/maps/ballot-measures/all/) has been down for some time now, likely due to higher than expected traffic...usually, that doesn't coincide with disinterest or negative interest.

If Prop 19 is defeated there are a LOT of retarded voters out there. Marijuana prohibition is ridiculous since alcohol is legal. All the snooty old fogies must have all voted no. The State could have made a LOT of money off of legalizing pot, and they could stop throwing everyone who is caught with pot from being thrown in jail (which is extremely stupid).

This is a complicated issue. Having been clean from the influence of the mind and mood altering substance in question for two decades, I would be concerned at the implicit message that would be sent through legalization. Proponants of legalization would argue that the health effects of pot are less detrimental than alcohol, as if there is no argument against alcohol as a life destroying substance. Statistics show otherwise.

<<< is from indiana and would love to see prop 19 passed. this is crazy how we can go to jail for smoking pot.. but alcohol is perfectly legal as well as tobacco, both of which kill alot of people in a year... legalize it..

Prop 19 is winning. But the elections are fixed. I repeat the elections are fixed. Now time to start paying attention to what Greece, Iceland and many other countries are already doing and revolt. Go back to bed America your government has everything under control. The government site has crashed due to the amount of traffic. People that vote no do not visit that page. wake up , get pissed you have been duped again. Look they even have the balls to Give Pelosi more years screwing up this country you know its fixed!!!

All Governments have a mindset that restrictions are good. This is simply wrong! Restrictions Cost, Stifle, hamper, and restrict the human spirit from being free and capable of doing good. I say society only needs 1 law; Governments have no right to restrict or inflict on its people anything. ie Governments are the biggest problem we face today.

Maybe they will change there minds in 2012 when we our country is even more fucked up and personally I don't even smoke infact I sell a little from time to time and that would put me out of buisness but I would rather it be legal and keep ppl out of trouble than me make pretty good money off of it. It's going to be a sad day in Cali.

Booo Hooo No pot for the pot heads in Calia. The drug lords in Mexico wont be able to cash in now. For you bone heads that think Mexican pot would go away think again. Check out www.blogdelnarco.com and see what drugs are doing to Mexico. Here is a quote from someone in Mexico....If they approve the legalization I think that Mexico and other countries to stop fighting Debno posters and give them free passage to reach the U.S., so if that does not do their fucking shootings here in the territory and to bring their violence to the U.S. to feel what is the terror these assholes fucking gringos.

You pot heads dont have a clue whats going on other than you want your high no matter what, be careful what you ask for, it will some day be more than you can handle.

Guy above me,You ignorant fuck, most of their profits do not come from weed all you cannabis hating pricks should actually go to mexico before just looking at a website and thinkong that they know all there is to know about drug cartels, trafficing and medical cannabis patients. Now do us all a favor and go crawl in a dark hole never to be heard from again.

so i smoke weed therefore i am automatically a pothead, where do you get those terms from? you don't know me and i don't know you so the only fact i could say about you is your ignorance. I could be on chemotherapy for all you know.

WE WILL CONTINUE TO SMOKE WEED no matter what - you tax alcohol, you tax cigarettes and so instead of embracing the situation and helping out the state you have gone against what could of provided the key out of a lot of problems. This has nothing to do with mexico - even mentioning it is pointless.

so, i would never wish cancer upon anyone but see have a look at the life changing difference and know you voted wrong.

All you hippies need to use your brain for once... The cons of prop 19 passing far outweighs the pros at this time, prop 19 was a last minute, half baked proposition that I'm glad didn't pass... When they actually sit down, review it in a more detailed manner, and then make laws based on those results, then it can be put to vote again. It's too soon for this right now, and all of these comments reflect that...

All of you stating the usual BS about its medicinal properties can just stop right now, you and I both know it's not why you smoke pot, it's just another excuse used because you want to smoke weed every day without being bothered by the cops.

If you have cancer and use pot, good for you, but everyone else using that excuse is sickening, you have absolutely no respect for those who do suffer... You're only supporting them for your own selfish agenda, you couldn't give 2 shits about those who really suffer, so long as you can get your fix.

I'm not totally against prop 19, but I'm against it right now... Because, as of today, it's just a half baked idea that hasn't been discussed anywhere near as much as it should be. There are some serious implications of legalizing pot, none of which have even been discussed at all, and until they are and they reach some sort of middle ground between legal and illegal, pot should remain illegal.

well, a quick question then, what are some of these implications that haven't been discussed? it seems like the more important ones have been discussed, those being the financial and criminal aspects. I have not really heard any sort of adverse tradeoff to pot legalization and regulation. so what would they be?

And many, many more... It hasn't been discussed nearly enough for the bill to pass, there are still many dangers while under the influence, especially when behind the wheel or operating machinery. And the fact that it can't be easily detected like alcohol is a huge problem as well. Until a device that is widely available and foolproof at detecting users under the influence instantly (like breathalyzers), it should remain illegal, plain and simple.

ok, you make some good points, but health factors is not one of them. there are MANY things that are know to cause health problems that are sold to EVERYONE! that would be FAST FOOD, which i am sure you would agree is one of the largest contributors to unhealthy eating habits that lead to obesity, heart disease, etc... and i think heart disease is one of the biggest killers out there... but has that become even slightly illegal? last i heard, pot don't make you fat. and at the workplace, i agree that you shouldn't be blazing while working, but after work would you rather someone get drunk and violent or baked and sleepy? and hey, how bout the black market aspect of weed? keeping it illegal gives all sorts of gangs and drug cartels all sorts of money, and then people who would not under normal circumstances ever be exposed to the criminal element of society are. i think quite a few scientists actually agree with that theory. take a look at the vienna declaration, some good info there.

Just because pot is "not as bad" as other stuff doesn't make it healthy either... You're still inhaling smoke which includes MUCH more carcinogens and tar than tobacco (which has been scientifically proven btw) amongst other harmful substances... Also, lumping everyone who drinks as violent is ridiculous, do some people get violent when they're drunk? Yes, but everyone? Hell no, the vast majority of people do not get violent when they're drunk... The same could be said for any substance out there, yes, including pot...

You say heart disease is one of the biggest killers, yet you say pot should be legal... Using pot effectively drops your blood pressure, and increases your heart rate, this puts users at an increased risk of heart attacks, which is just as bad if not worse than heart disease. Also, smoking pot affects a person's lungs and throat the same way as tobacco does and in some cases, even more due to the fact that pot users tend to inhale more deeply and hold it in longer than tobacco users would...

Lets not forget the long term effects on the immune system, impairing the person's immune system therefore not working as hard to fight off common viruses, diseases etc...

The drug cartels and gangs will always be there, with or without pot, they're not going to magically disappear if pot is legalized, so that argument isn't valid, they don't deal strictly with pot, they deal in everything... Cartels and gangs will exist regardless if pot is legal or not, they just won't be dealing with pot anymore, are you saying we should legalize coke, heroin, mdma, peyote, pcp, meth and every other drug these guys deal with too?

As far as people go, I'm willing to bet the vast majority of people who smoke pot today are already engaged in illegal activities regardless... Sorry to say, but the vast majority of those who are so willing to buy and smoke weed are already involved in other not so legal activities.

Ok, well put, smoking pot does effect the heart, but thats only after smoking it. But so does smoking cigarettes. And as for the tar and other bad stuff you inhale from cannabis smoke, well, a pot smoker doesnt go around smoking 20 joints a day, so in the long run they are exposed to a far lesser amount of tar and other carcinogens than a cigarette smoker. And the amount of other compounds in pot smoke is what, something like 400, give or take? Some of which are proven to be therapeutic(cannabidiol, among others. take a look http://www.cbcrp.org/research/PageGrant.asp?grant_id=4903) Now how many different chemicals are in cigarettes? around 4000(formaldehyde, hydrogen cyanide, arsenic, carbon monoxide to name a few) And tobacco use, whether direct or indirect, is responsible for something like 400,000 deaths in the states alone... But it is still damn legal, and i dont see that changing any time soon. So you cant really say pot should be illegal because of supposed health concerns, while so many other substances that are proven to be bad for people are still in widespread use. And where did u come up with this immune system impairment theory? can you provide a link? i would like to read this report very much!

About the gangs, cartels and whatnot, they will be there whether we like it or not. So why dont we legalize all the other drugs and take away that enormous mountain of cash they make selling them? And while were at it, offer those poor addicts some help on getting off those hardcore drugs, or at least give them a safe place to do them? That would at least get them off the street

And then there's your opinion on "the vast majority of people who smoke pot already do illegal things" well, you would be correct. Smoking pot is technically illegal. But what are these other "not so legal activities" that you speak of?

Now, i never said that smoking pot is a healthy thing to do. But neither is, say, sticking a fork in your eye. There are many things that are unhealthy for people, but they are still completely legal. So why is pot such a bad thing, that should be illegal? Sure, there are unhealthy aspects to it, but if thats all you can come up with, it is really, well, not all that good an argument.

You can't be serious... You want to legalize every drug known to man just to get rid of the cartels, gangs and whatnot? Put the joint down buddy, you've killed off enough braincells in your lifetime, its time you quit smoking pot and try to live the rest of your life without doing any more damage to whatever is left of that brain of yours... I'm shocked that you would even suggest that, that has to be the most ridiculous and idiotic comment I've read.

You argument about cigarettes vs pot would be valid, except cigarettes don't get you high, they don't impair your motor skills, reflexes and everything else. That's why cigarettes are legal and pot isn't. And believe me, I know plenty of people (most the people I know who still smoke weed) who smoke much more than 1 or 2 joints a day, not to mention that all of them also smoke cigarettes, but nowhere near 20 cigarettes a day... When I used to smoke pot, I smoked a lot, I'd say between a half quarter to a quarter a day on average, sometimes more.

Also, pot on average has roughly 3 to 5 times more carbon monoxide compared to cigarettes, I'm not sure where you got your sources that pot doesn't contain any carbon monoxide, hydrogen cyanide, ammonia, nitric oxide and many other toxic chemicals, but whatever it is, it's clearly wrong. There are more of those harmful chemicals in pot than in cigarettes...

Research from Harvard (and many other places) have shown that pot does in fact impair the immune system. Google is your friend, there are tons of studies that show the same findings... Give it a read.

http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/evidence99/marijuana/Health_1.html

My opinion that people who smoke pot are also involved in other illegal activities is right on the money, because people who smoke pot are very likely to do other, harder drugs as well... And I speak from experience, I've done almost every type of street drug available (heroin is the only drug I haven't done, but I have done many very similar drugs... IE: Opiates), and so did virtually everyone I knew at the time and know now.

My argument isn't only the fact that it isn't healthy, read my other posts and you'll see that with all those problems put together, it doesn't make any sense whatsoever to legalize pot... Especially not now. You may not understand this now, but when you (and everyone else) grow up, you will.

Instead of asking why pot is illegal, ask yourself why it should be legal... What would it change? How would it make people's lives better? What would it bring to society as a whole?

Absolutely nothing... And that's my point, there simply isn't any good reason to legalize pot other than the fact that people don't want to get busted for smoking/possessing it... That's it. None of you could give 2 shits about it's fabled "medicinal properties", all you want is to get high every day without being bothered by the cops... The fact is, it won't reduce the number of people being thrown in jail, it won't help get rid of the gangs, cartels, it won't deter thieves (in fact, you'll probably see an increase in theft since it won't be "dealers" selling it anymore, it will be shops... So thieves won't think twice about stealing from them), its not going to magically cure anything... They've been hard at work banning smoking in public, soon the only place you'll be allowed to smoke cigarettes is in your own home, do you honestly think they'd allow people to smoke weed? And frankly, I'd rather they ban smoking cigarettes completely than legalize pot.

Anyways, that's it, there isn't a single good reason as to why pot should be legal, there are no benefits or advantages gained from legalizing pot.

Well, thank you for posting a link, i will be checkin that out for sure. But you know, i really resent that comment about just wanting to get high, and not giving two shits about the "fabled medicinal properties". I in fact have a mother who is really quite messed up, a bad car accident when i was like 15, and EVERY FUCKING DAY SINCE THEN SHE IS IN PAIN! I also have an uncle who is losing a good portion of his deltoid muscle due to cancer, which i believe pot therapy would cure. To say i dont give two shits about those people alone, well, i would just wait and find out a bit more before saying somethin like that. Thats kinda pretty shitty on your part. As for pot leading everyone to all those harder drugs, well, the people who do those other harder drugs were going to anyway, pot didnt drive them to it. And as for the other drugs being legalized, well, look up whats happend in portugal. they legalized everything, and you know whats happend? Drug use is going to, crime rates go down, rehab attention goes way up, law enforcement costs go down, etc... take a look at this time article http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1893946,00.html And as for the theft, well, we already have an example of what will happen when pot is legalized. The same thing as what happend to alcohol! hell, there are already stores which sell weed, and they dont get robbed any more or less than any other type of business! And the street prices would go down as a result of legalization, so people wouldnt need to steal it. But if you want to keep on believing that the sky i made out of cotton candy, and the world we live in is really a good place, you go on ahead. Maybe all those other drugs and opiates did a little more to your brain than your quater every day. Have fun eating moonbeams and dancing with the unicorns!

Sorry to say, but pot isn't a magical pain killer... There is plenty of medication already out there for chronic pain from serious injuries which are a thousand times more effective than pot, they're called opiates (Percocet, Oxycontin, Morphine, Fentanyl etc)... After my accident 6 years ago, I was prescribed Oxycontin, when I tried to stop taking it, I started smoking pot again to get relief, but it did absolutely nothing, so I went back to Oxycontin. Pot will not stop your mother's pain, no matter how much you try to tell yourself that it will. Pot is not a cancer killer either, the only thing pot does to help cancer patients is give them their appetite back (after chemo therapy) and helps them relax... But then again, there are other medication out there that already do this much more effectively.

So why do you "need" pot to be legal? Do you have cancer? Why do you smoke pot to begin with? Oh right, to get high... Point proven. That's pretty much all everyone in here cares about, getting high, so yes, none of you could give 2 shits about pot's so called "medicinal properties", and frankly, there are far more dangers from smoking pot than whatever "relief" it provides.

Pot has been proven time and time again to be a gateway drug, it's the first drug people try, then they move on to the harder stuff. I know, I've been there, and I see it every single day... Of course not everyone moves on to harder drugs, but the majority do (especially the younger crowd). As far as your whole argument about theft... There will always be people who can't afford it, making it more accessible will make it easier to steal. Just because its cheaper doesn't mean people aren't going to steal it anyways, there's cheap booze, yet you don't see that stopping the theft do you? Want to know the reason people don't steal pot as much now (they do steal now, but not from anyone important)? Because if they steal from a drug dealer, they'll get shot, they won't have their "connection" anymore and quite a few other reasons... Take out those elements and you'll see a huge increase in theft, regardless of how much the cost of pot declined.

The US isn't Portugal, you can't compare what happens in another country and expect the same to happen in the US, especially not the US. What happens there and in the US after decriminalization of all drugs would be vastly different, just because it worked for them (the article really didn't offer any real proof to this other than one very specific paper. Not to mention that drug use in Portugal wasn't very widespread compared to the US or EU (it even says it in the article you linked)... And also, marijuana use actually increased by a significant amount after this happened, so it didn't actually work that well now did it? You can't take what happened in Portugal and expect the same to happen in the US.

On the contrary, I'm a realist, I know exactly what any type of drug can do to people and what they'll do to get it, I know the world isn't all sunshine and rainbows, but legalizing pot isn't going to change that. Sorry to say, but you're the delusional one here, if you think that legalizing pot is going to magically make everything better, you have a lot to learn kid.